Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8
I’m a child of the 1980’s. Every year at Advent, I’m reminded of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singing, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Yet, that is exactly what we are called to do at Advent—WAIT. We are bombarded by Christmas music in the stores and, perhaps, even pressured by parishioners to hurry, to put away the Advent carols, to stop waiting, and to begin singing the Christmas hymns, now! We wait in line to spend more money on more things for more people who already have all that they need while theirs wait for their next meal or clean drink of water, not knowing when or if it will appear. We do not like to wait.
Just as the world had to wait for the Incarnation, so now we must wait for the return of Jesus. Just as the world had to wait for the Kingdom to come, so now we must wait for it to come in its fullness. This holy season of Advent is a time of waiting, a time of discipleship, a time of preparing and training us for the waiting that still lies before us. And the Psalmist reminds us of that promised day for which we wait:
“Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky” (Psalm 85:10-11).
The echoes of Psalm 85 are unmistakably reverberant in John’s revelation, too. The day is surely coming when God will bring to fruition his saving plans for all of creation. The new heaven and the new earth shall be one, meeting in a kiss from our grace-empowered faithfulness and God’s almighty righteousness.
Let us join together, as the body of Christ, as we wait for the day to arrive when we remember the birth of a tiny, helpless child, and let us join together as we anticipate and wait for the day when he returns.
Prayer: Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Andrew Bartel, Master of Divinity, 2010, is the director of the Wesley Acres Camp and Retreat Center in Dazey, North Dakota.
Prayer taken from: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent.
I’m a child of the 1980’s. Every year at Advent, I’m reminded of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singing, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Yet, that is exactly what we are called to do at Advent—WAIT. We are bombarded by Christmas music in the stores and, perhaps, even pressured by parishioners to hurry, to put away the Advent carols, to stop waiting, and to begin singing the Christmas hymns, now! We wait in line to spend more money on more things for more people who already have all that they need while theirs wait for their next meal or clean drink of water, not knowing when or if it will appear. We do not like to wait.
Just as the world had to wait for the Incarnation, so now we must wait for the return of Jesus. Just as the world had to wait for the Kingdom to come, so now we must wait for it to come in its fullness. This holy season of Advent is a time of waiting, a time of discipleship, a time of preparing and training us for the waiting that still lies before us. And the Psalmist reminds us of that promised day for which we wait:
“Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky” (Psalm 85:10-11).
The echoes of Psalm 85 are unmistakably reverberant in John’s revelation, too. The day is surely coming when God will bring to fruition his saving plans for all of creation. The new heaven and the new earth shall be one, meeting in a kiss from our grace-empowered faithfulness and God’s almighty righteousness.
Let us join together, as the body of Christ, as we wait for the day to arrive when we remember the birth of a tiny, helpless child, and let us join together as we anticipate and wait for the day when he returns.
Prayer: Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Andrew Bartel, Master of Divinity, 2010, is the director of the Wesley Acres Camp and Retreat Center in Dazey, North Dakota.
Prayer taken from: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent.
I am so glad for the first coming of Christ and I look forward with even more joy toward his second coming. My goal is to see how many can be ready when he comes. The next time you are waiting in line behind someone .....anyone....anywhere.....take that time to pray for them.
Christmas Blessings,
Pastor Brian
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